What is the difference between silicon and germanium semiconductors?

Answer 1

integrated circuits and components made in GaAs are much faster than silicon because its low field electron mobility is larger than silicon. GaAs has ability to emit light used in leds,lasers and microwave emitter used in cellular phones

Answer 2

Both silicon and gallium arsenide are used to fabricate wafers. Gallium arsenide however is more difficult to process than silicon but it is practical.

Germanium cannot be used to fabricate wafers because unlike silicon which has a solid waterproof oxide that can be used as both an insulator and protective passivation over the entire wafer, germanium's oxide is crumbly and water soluble so it cannot be used to insulate or passivate the wafer.

Germanium is only practical for making individual discrete transistors that must then be packaged in hermetically sealed metal or glass packages to prevent damage from humidity in the air. Silicon dioxide passivation over the surface of the chip prevents this damage, allowing inexpensive molded plastic packages to be used instead of the expensive hermetically sealed packages needed for germanium transistors (or unpassivated silicon devices).

Answer 3

because of difference in electrons in valence shell of silicon and germenium